M.S.S.S Episode 24

Cool stuff happened in this episode, so... Hmm... Prepare your anuses for more Hanekawa, my favourite theory subject.

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 24

HANEKAWA! Kind of compresses my feelings about this episode. And now we actually got Kaiki's opinion on her. Which may seem pointless now, when she's finally become a real person, but! He did raise an eye-opening (for me, at least) question for her. Why doesn't she ask questions? How does she know so much, when the very basis of information gathering is asking questions. It also led me to another question, DOES Gaen really know everything? Of course, I haven't watched Suruga Devil yet, which probably will touch upon that, but nonetheless.

Sidenote: Has Hanekawa really become a true human? Yes, look at her hair. If she was bothered with the fact that her hair looks abnormal, she would've dyed it.

Why doesn't Hanekawa ask questions? The answer seems obvious. She doesn't need to, right?. But looking from another point of view, it may not be true. What if she DOESN'T know? That is exactly what I need you to think about. What if, by her nature, Hanekawa feels that asking questions doesn't give her the information she wants? What if ACTING she knows actually provides her with more in-depth information, which she can use to actually figure out what she wants to know?

Taking this episode for example. When she was ASKED if she wanted to ask a question, she didn't, like she already knew. Like she already knew the whole story, she refused. It's brilliant. She knows that by actually asking, she won't get all the pieces of the puzzle she needs, just the ones she's asking for. Even her tagline: "I don't know everything, I just know what I know" is a smokescreen, to fool the other person to think that she knows more than she does.

It also goes even further. How much did we actually know about Hanekawa before Nekomonogatari Shiro? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She's so good at gathering information and hiding her own that we didn't even notice how mysterious a character she was. She never told us anything, and I find that goddamn brilliant. By hiding what she knows and acting in a certain way, she has fooled all of us to thinking that she actually knows so goddamn much.

Of course, there is a point to this. She also does know a lot, you know she does, but her actions and every aspect of her implies that she knows, almost literally, everything. So while she actually might know more about the matter at hand than the other one, even if she doesn't, the other wouldn't notice her lack of knowledge before she actually knows about the equal amount or more than the other. I find it super-fascinating. I'm proud of this theory. 

So what about the person that is said to know so goddamn much, as everything? Izuko Gaen... We've seen her twice, and in neither case was her omniscience actually proven. I do think that it is possible that she knows everything, but I prefer another theory, right now at least. What if she didn't know everything, but she just could read minds? It might seem stupid, but think about it. Rarely the things we see in this series are what they actually appear to be. The ability to read minds would give her an insurmountable amount of information, and her bragging about knowing everything gives even more. When she says: "I know everything", you cannot prove her wrong. Why? Because if you ask her a question that you know an answer to, she can read your mind to know the answer. If in turn you ask her a question you don't know the answer to, she may have that information by reading minds. It's quite simple. Of course, this one is pure theory.

Addendum: Actually, combining these two theories make the first meeting between Gaen and Hanekawa tad bit more logical. Gaen could see right through Hanekawa, as she could read her thoughts.

TL;DR?

HanekawaHanekawaHanekaGAEN.

M.S.S.S Episode 23

The suspense! What may be in Sengoku's closet? Will Kaiki be violently murdered, by Gaen's followers or Nadeko? What is Kaiki's 100-visit wish? Next time, on DRAGONBALL Z!

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 23

The opening tore my mouth open from laughter and amazement. This series never ceases to amaze me with it's superfluous yet ridiculously fitting trolling. But yeah, maybe we've got something to talk about.

Actually, I'm not too sure about that. I read on MAL a nice idea of Gaen trying to convince Kaiki to leave just to make him stay, and provide him with some money so he can do his job properly. It was the only cool one I at least found, but what did I think about?

There were some nice scenes that threw some very subtle backstory in there, like the little prompt that had Kaiki thinking: "She probably means Izuko" when Ononoki talks about Gaen. So it's not obvious that it would be Izuko? Also, the fact that Ononoki is "keeping an eye on Kagenui" may have something behind it. We've previously seen Kagenui as easily the most extreme of our specialist trio, so maybe she's been somewhere beyond the correct path at some point? Hmm?

Also, Izuko's plan to make Shinobu a god isn't out of nothing, and it explains why the charm with the snake god's soul was in Araragi's house. The question lies in the fact did either Araragi or Shinobu know of this plan. It also mystifies the existence of Ougi, as she was the one that is behind this scheme. What is her goal? Prove something to someone?

We've also seen some promotional material for this arc and the had Oshino in there. Definitely a thing to look forward to. It could easily seem that the specialist trio, or even the college quartet would soon meet. Interesting times ahead of us.

Sadly, I spoiled myself, much to an accident of a forum poster. They had written a word that loosely implies what kind of an object is inside the closet, but I will not spoil it.

Also, when Kaiki broke in to Nadeko's house... Did hewallrun and pull himself up to a second floor window with one hand? My god, this guy is agile. I've noticed that the whole specialist trio is agile. Maybe it's part of the job.

TL;DR?
If you think that this series has ever failed, this opening WILL make it up to you.

PS. Kind of jubbled, maybe someone makes some sense out of it.

M.S.S.S Episode 22

Kaiki on the roll again!

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 22

Okay... So. I think it would be absolutely hilarious if this scheme went so far, that on the day of graduation they go to the shrine, and there's Nadeko and Kaiki waiting. Araragi goes wtf, but doesn't say anything, because Nadeko introduces Kaiki as her best friend. That would be the shit. But, I think that part will come actually at another time. Where as... I think the final scheme will involve a shitload of people coming to the shrine. Like, a thousand or something.

So, we got some interesting information on Kaiki and some interesting analysis on Nadeko. I was actually wondering about Kaiki's love life sometime, and this episode did deliver on that. It was a quick sidenote, but it fits Kaiki's character pretty well. It's a thing that was, nothing more.

On the Nadeko issue. Kaiki puts it pretty well, with the fact that she was forced to be cute. And that she is hiding something in that closet. Something, something. It's probably like this huge closet, that is otherwise empty but there's like one object in the middle of it. What that object is, I have seriously no idea.

And what did I tell you about the disguise? So noire, so noire. Of course it had to be. I thought it would've needed a fedora, but it's still pretty awesome. Kaiki looks good in a trench coat, that's for sure.

It was fun to also have Kaiki be so damn suspicious of Hanekawa. When they meet, it will be certainly superb. Because if he hears Hanekawa's story, oh my the amount of fake. And I just really want to see Hanekawa post-NekoShiro. And when you really think about it, Hanekawa is ALWAYS in the sidelines, she's almost never left out, so if some outsider heard these things, he would be like: "Why does Hanekawa know all this?"

Oh the Kaiki - Nadeko dialogue in the end. Nice to see Medusako again. She's a jolly little lass, ain't she? That was probably the most enthusiastic "I totally love him and that's why I'll kill him!" I've ever heard. If I even have heard that line too many times. Somehow how these things are set up, it makes me think immediately that the scheme will include a lot of people, but..! I could be deceived.

And here we also see the insane logic of Medusako. Why be in a relationship when you can just have unrequited love? I love it.

Best line ever: "Is he (Araragi) a criminal?", coming from the professional con artist.

TL;DR?
There's always Hanekawa.

PS. BTW, sorry that I haven't put pictures in like the past half a year. It's not that I don't want, I just don't want to take low quality screencaps from streams.

M.S.S.S Episode 21

Okaaaay. Mr. Deceiver is back, with sort of a vengeance. Count me excited. Like, Hella excited. Just now, I noticed how much I like Kaiki as a character... And how much can the quality of an episode be measured by the percentage of the episode I was either laughing or had a grin on my face?

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 21

Kaiki is back in business, but this time without cash. And with a brand-spanking-new art style. It sure has it's own quirks. The consistently changing colour scheme for example may be very much because of the idea that colours are different to different people. Also, white. 

So, okay. Previously Kaiki gave us the theory of Fakeness, and it's great. Now, he's narrating the goddamn show. And admits he will lie. But was that a lie also? Looking at the thing in a perspective of "anything can be a lie" gives some interesting depth to it. Well, before, pretty much anything could have been a lie too, right? I would say no. This time, Kaiki admits that even his thoughts may be lies. That is the difference.

Kaiki is an interesting character to talk about, mainly because of his antagonistic state in the show. He's shown very vampiric, not liking sunlight, pale and all, big, black bags under eyes etc. But, this time, for most of the episode, he's wearing sunglasses. Mirrored ones, I believe. It may actually have a point. I could see Kaiki go incognito in the city, trying to avoid Araragi in some ridiculous disguise. Even if the disguise wasn't ridiculous, we would probably be shown it as such, because of the character lens.

Continuing with the mirrored sunglasses. Mirror... Medusa... Huh... Could it be? I don't believe so, but a speculation is a speculation.

Kaiki's character lens may actually be pretty interesting. What if... Senjougahara was wearing really just normal glasses? It would make sense, lots of. Kaiki just sees the glasses as a stupid disguise, thus turning them to nose-glasses. It would also explain why their appearance changes through the episode. Kaiki might also be looking much meeker than, you know, Oshino garb. He just connects ridiculous clothing with Oshino garb. Highly impractical theory, but it gives interesting insight.

Now I just want to see Senjougahara with regular glasses...

And the final twist of the episode, the connection of Kanbaru, definitely did not come out of nowhere, but it was still unexpectable (Which is a good thing). For me, at least. It does give hints of the past. Kaiki is somehow indebted to either Gaen, Kanbaru, or Kanbaru's mother. Even though it is a wild guess, I'd say it's probably Kanbaru's mother. Or grandma even? Whoah. Soon I'll theorise Kaiki being Kanbaru's father or some other very disturbing shit. That would be rather... Unsettling.

TL;DR?
Grinning, with a new, extraordinarily unreliable narrator.

M.S.S.S Episode 20

With dried tears on my cheek, I've come here to analyze. : D

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 20

I didn't guess it. I never saw it coming that Hachikuji was the target. On the other hand, I did saw it coming that the anti-existence/darkness is something that appears when apparitions stray from the path, so to say.

Once again, I was completely oblivious of the obvious lyrics in the ending, just like in Bake. This time though they didn't get me to a crazy conclusion, but just deepening the understanding the characters of Hachikuji and Araragi. Once again has our rightful champion saved a girl from darkness, and get rewarded with love. Of course that makes it sound cheesy, but I think Hachikuji's final conversation with Araragi showed something else too. Araragi is once again hypocritical, and I think that it's one of his defining characteristics. But he's not hypocritical because he thinks himself better than others, but because he was born a martyr. If someone gets in trouble, it's not okay because they might get hurt, where as he can go through extended periods of all kinds of hurt because then the others don't have to suffer. His overprotective nature is destroyed here, when one of the first times ever, he just can't do anything. He's powerless, mentally and physically.

OH MY. I just realized something. We saw some effects of true character development in this episode. Remember... What was Araragi asked to do with Hachikuji when they met the first time? Exactly. He was asked to abandon her, let her go, as that is how Lost Cows are handled. He just couldn't do it, but ultimately solved the problem by finding her home. This time, there was no luxury of destination, thus he was forced to give in. The Araragi of the past would have been more stubborn, he wouldn't have let go, but I think this proves his growth as a person. Sometimes you just have to let go.

On the matter of Hachikuji... This episode makes it pretty clear what she feels. She's not too disappointed in her fate, and one of the last things she says is: "At least I had fun." Which is relative to the fact that she lived 11 years in anguish, leading people away from the path that they were on. Interestingly, the way Gaen put it was "-- Apparitions who have strayed from their path", which could be an nod to the fact that Hachikuji strayed from the path by not leaving it. And ultimately, her path led her to her untimely leave.

Hachikuji was one of my favorite characters, and she provided lots of the "air" that the series needs for it to progress naturally. She was the X, the variable. She could come by whenever, and leave whenever. That cycle kept the pace of the series natural, where sometimes we would go on with the story and sometimes get interesting viewpoints from Hachikuji. She was the other side of the coin, often showing the flaws in Araragi's and the viewer's logic, and thus improving the philosophies that the Monogatari series has.

Now I'm only asking...

Are we going to lose that part of the show completely?

And if not...

How are we going to replace her?

I don't know, I really liked the character.

TL;DR?
Hachikuji is X, and Araragi is haunted by the question from his past.

M.S.S.S Episode 19

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 19

Sorry to disappoint all you three people reading, but this arc is phenomenally self-explanatory. It does generally a better job in explaining itself than I do explaining it, so there's not much of a point.

All I can think about is theorizing about Izuko Gaen, and well... That's stuff for the Suruga Devil arc, as we got a hint for her identity before...

But anyways, one thing I would deem interesting is the actual order of the second season. Why? Because only now, already months after the actual arc, we're getting our answers on those long forgotten missing chapters in Nekomonogatari White.

I would highly theorize that the existence of the "darkness" is very important to the transformation of Araragi, the result of which we saw at the end of Nekomonogatari White. Remember those torn-off clothes? Those are the ones he is wearing right now, just... Destroyed. And the fact that he has the Kokoro Watari with him means he either pulled it out of his own ass or got re-linked to Shinobu somehow. We will also hear the reason why he is so late to that meeting, as now we've been shown what he did the days before. It's... The second evening of the Nekomonogatari White going on as we watch it. It would be ingenious if we would've seen the house fire somewhere in the background though.

Let's see what a new week is bringing about.

TL;DR:
Connections, connections...

M.S.S.S Episode 18

Let us see what comes around this time...

Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 18

Who is Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade?

I have no idea, but dammit, I'm interested. Kizumonogatari! Come, goddamnit!
It would seem that the reason for her long name is that she has had different personas in different times(?), not sure. Because I believe that she got her name Heart-Under-Blade only after she created her first minion. Just wait a bit...

The art style of the episode is great. I love the classical Japanese painting style as it's executed here. Really gives the feeling of a totally different era.

Moreover... It would seem that Shinobu's lasting theme in the series "Apparitions are what we make them up to be." One of the most important ones, I think. It was first in the Nekomonogatari Black, now it's back. You can start drawing lines pretty easily between her worshippers and Araragi, and you can get a lot of her character development right there. Shinobu changes as the people around her change. Like the people who treated her as a god, and Araragi who treated her like a child, her character takes huge leaps in short amounts of time, purely of things that don't involve her. Her self is not for her to make.

This may well tie in to her long name. Maybe the name Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade actually is linked to the idea and belief in vampires, and how those beliefs change over time. The three names have distinct differences in tone, and as such could be seen as separate names for separate beings, which just happen to have been in the same body.

Maybe the name also has something to do with her behavior. Like, for example. Araragi and the first minion both called her Kiss-Shot. Maybe the Kiss-Shot in her is the only one who has the capability of making minions. The others may be physically capable of it, but have no interest in it. Or what if..? The lore of the vampire has changed over time so much, that only in certain periods of time there has been the idea that it makes minions?

Another part of her being is probably the inevitability of the outside world. As KSAOHUB (Stupidest abbreviation ever.) makes huge changes to the environment she lives in (Like destroying the ecosystem), maybe it is mutual. Maybe the changes in the environment in turn affect her very being?

TL;DR?
Maybe Shinobu this, maybe Shinobu that. Who even reads these?